Of bygone days
by LisbethMegalomania
Summary: In which a well-meaning but very much untrained pre-shippuden Sakura finds herself stranded in the warring states era and joins the founders of Konoha on their path to greatness. What could go wrong? Sakura x Founders
1. I

**_Inner Sakura talking_**

_Normal Sakura thinking_

* * *

There were many things Sakura had seen in her rather short life. She was a kunoichi after all. Strange was just another Tuesday for her. Her viridian eyes wandered over the endless sea of ancient trees again, their lush crowns swaying softly in the pleasant afternoon breeze.

**_We're so screwed._**

She'd thought the days where her strong-minded inner self reared its head long gone but apparently, her current predicament warranted a sudden reappearance. The tree bark splintered under her crushing grip.

"This simply cannot be." Her voice cut through the silence like a knife.

She'd just turned around to close the front door of her parents' house when she suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a small clearing. There wasn't even a trace of chakra besides her own that she could trace, no enemy shinobi that could've ambushed her. One second she'd been in Konoha and the next she wasn't.

While her mind was trying to come up with an explanation, she'd jumped into the branches of the nearest tree in hopes of getting a clue where she was.

"Kai." Once again, her buzzing chakra flooded her system in search of some kind of genjutsu.

Not even the Sharingan could replicate reality to a point where a somewhat competent medic-nin couldn't detect it. As long as chakra was involved Sakura was able to uncover any genjutsu she might've been put under, even if at first, she wasn't able to break it.

_**So, if this is real, then where the hell are we?**_ The flora surrounding her was native to fire country, that much she could tell. Konoha should lay hidden behind the tall trees around her, but no matter how high she climbed, Sakura couldn't spot the familiar walls of her home. _**A village doesn't just vanish in the blink of an eye**. _Inner reasoned.

Sakura took off, the heavy feeling in her chest getting worse with every mile she crossed. When the sun began to set, she'd worked herself into a proper frenzy, her thoughts erratically jumping from one possible scenario to another. "I've been running for hours, why isn't there any sign of the village yet?"

Even though she'd recently started her apprenticeship under Tsunade, her stamina was still lacking. It was enough to pass the chunin exams right after she'd celebrated her thirteenth birthday but after a whole day of jumping around an unfamiliar forest, she'd reached her limit. She felt a few beads of sweat running down her back and cringed at the thought of how sweaty she must've looked.

With Sasuke gone, there wasn't a reason for her to dress up every morning or put on her favourite sparkling lip balm. It had taken two weeks of her shishou's insane training regime for Sakura to drag herself into the closest shinobi store and swap her beloved qipao dress for something more durable. Until she was able to dodge the literal boulders her crazy Hokage threw at her she wouldn't waste her time repairing and scrubbing colourful fabrics. Her entire wardrobe now consisted of muted colours and her hospital uniform, much to the dismay of her mother.

"Right, this isn't working. I need to find water, then rest, Shishou will have noticed my absence by now." Her feet touched the mossy ground again.

With her chakra dangerously low she thought it wasn't safe to continue and turned to look for any signs of water nearby. "They'll send someone. Everything will be alright; I just need to keep calm and find some shelter."

After aimlessly wandering around for what must've been an hour judging by the position of the sun, the girl finally heard the familiar burble of a nearby stream and sprinted towards the welcome noise. Dropping to her knees she gingerly re-filled her empty flask before splashing some cooling water on to her face, eager to wash off the sweat and dirt that was clinging to her entire body. **_What now_?**

Contemplating her inner's question Sakura emptied her pockets and the small hip-pouch Tsunade had gifted her for her birthday. "As a doctor, you should always carry the essentials with you wherever you go Sakura."

Grateful for her teacher's foresight, she sorted through the small pile of supplies in front of her. It was a rather pitiful sight. **_Well, let's hope they find you fast, 'cause this won't last us more than a few days. Tops._ **Tuning out the sarcastic voice inside of her head, Sakura chewed on one of her three remaining ration bars.

"Five Kunai, ten paper bombs, some wire and a fully stocked first-aid kit." Noticing the dull edges of her only means of protection until Konoha found her, she dug around the pile in search of her sharpening tools before setting to work.

**_You didn't even bring one supply scroll with you. No shelter, no sleeping bag. What are we gonna do outer_?** Tears were burning behind her eyes, but Sakura had promised herself to never be weak again, so she bit her chapped lips until she was finished with her task, the slight sting distracting her from the growing dread that was forming in her stomach.

"It's warm enough to stay in the open for one night after I get some food I'll get up in the trees and sleep there." She explained to herself, suddenly very grateful for the other presence in her mind. If she'd been completely alone with her thoughts, she'd have panicked by now.

**_Kami, this isn't a field trip, we might be in enemy territory. What if someone finds us? _**Inner argued, worry evident in her high-pitched voice.

"It's most certainly safer up there, than down here. I'll lay some traps and we'll be fine. It's not as if you have a better idea!" Sakura was exhausted and scared; she didn't need inner to remind her of all the awful things that could happen if she wasn't careful.

She repacked her meagre supplies and stood. By now the stars were visible in the rapidly darkening sky, reminding her that she'd to get food fast if she didn't want to stumble around in the dark. A fire would only attract unwanted attention, so she hastily began her search for some roots and berries before making herself comfortable in the highest tree she could find.

She attached some ninja-wire to the branches closest to her and set up a trap just in case someone did stumble upon her hideout. _You sure that's enough_? Inner sceptically eyed the simple contraception.

"I'm exhausted. My body needs to rest, or I won't have enough chakra to continue my search tomorrow." Sakura argued, a yawn interrupting her speech mid-sentence. Before the voice inside of her head could reply she'd already drifted off into blissful unawareness.

* * *

**_-ake up. Sakura! Wake up! _**Said girl shot up from her uncomfortable resting place, nearly losing her balance in the process. It was inner who sent chakra into her flaying limbs before she could slip off the branch. _**Thank Kami, we need to leave. Now.** _

Sakura's mind was trying to catch up with the adrenalin that was coursing through her veins. Subconsciously grabbing her things, the young kunoichi launched herself into the next tree, just as the trap she'd set just hours before was triggered. _Damn it_. The explosion that followed shook off the last remainders of sleep in Sakura's mind and she doubled her speed to get away from whoever had set off her trap.

"Did they see us leave?" She whispered, praying that inner had been more aware of their surroundings than herself.

**_No. I don't think so._** Sakura pressed her lips together, "You don't think so?"

**_Hey, we share the same body. I see what you see, hear what you hear. _**Inner sounded just as frustrated as her outer counterpart was feeling at that moment. "But how come you woke me up then? I didn't sense anybody?"

Inner rolled her eyes. **_Duh. You were asleep, whereas I kept watching so that we don't get killed._** Turning her head, Sakura tried to make out any pursuers. She channelled some chakra into her eyes, the dark forest around her instantly becoming more vivid. It was a neat little trick she'd learned from Shizune after having to spend another day in the dimly lit archives of the Hokage tower. She'd warned her not to keep it up for too long, or otherwise, she'd be suffering from sensory overload once she stepped into normal daylight again, but that wasn't something Sakura was currently worried about.

"I don't see anyone." Pushing herself off another branch, she continued her mad dash through the thick foliage. **_What if they were from Konoha?_ **As long as she didn't know where she was or what was happening, Sakura didn't want to risk getting caught. If they were truly from Konoha, they'd recognise the clues she's left behind and act accordingly. Their village didn't have a secret code for nothing. She'd carved the sign for help into several trees already and once daylight broke, she'd check if someone had replied.

Once she was certain that she was in the clear, Sakura crumbled to her knees, the adrenalin that had kept her up slowly being replaced by fatigue. The sky was turning crimson already and the forest around her came to life once again. Birds were greeting the new morning, their loud chirping keeping the exhausted girl from falling asleep right on the grassy ground.

It became increasingly harder for her to keep calm, her shinobi training clashing with the raising desperation at her current situation. She was scared and hungry and had just narrowly avoided getting killed by Kami knows what.

"I have to go back and check if they left a reply to my code." She murmured, her chest still heaving.

**_Are you insane? We just ran for hours to get away from there and now you want to go back?_**

"Whoever found us is either dead or long gone by now. They'd have no reason to stay." The mere thought of returning made her stomach churn but the need to get home was stronger than any fear she felt.

She closed her eyes for a second in an attempt to calm down. She'd managed to survive on her own until this point, she'd not fail now. "This is like any other mission. Just without Sensei." Sakura argued with herself, slowly getting her breathing under control again. She was a kunoichi, the fifth Hokage's apprentice. She could do this.

* * *

The charred barks were the first sign that she was getting close to the stream she'd spent the night at. Two of her symbols had been destroyed by the explosion of her trap, and one hadn't been touched as far as she could tell. That left only the one a few hundred metres south from her makeshift camp. **_Seems like we caught them by surprise_.** Inner's statement pulled Sakura away from her rising anxiety.

She spotted the first of the three bodies right next to the tree she'd slept in. Two others seemed to have been caught by the blast. She nearly threw up at the sight of the mangled corpse that had been impaled on one of the sharp branches. Breathing through her mouth she tried to ignore the stench of blood and made her way towards the first body. She couldn't afford to leave behind anything valuable in her current situation.

**_This is so much more disgusting than the bodies in the morgue. _**She agreed with inner. As a medic-nin in training, she'd seen many gruesome injuries and had her fair share of dead people. But she'd never killed someone herself. The realisation that this was her first kill hit her like a ton of bricks and she suddenly felt bile rising up her throat.

"It's okay. I'm a shinobi. That's what we do. It's fine." She was rambling, but if she stopped talking, she was certain she'd lose her meagre breakfast. She crouched down next to the first body, trying to avoid looking into what was left of the person's face. He wore clothes that were entirely unfamiliar to her. Some sort of grey armour was covering his shoulders and torso, below that he wore simple black clothes. Pressing her lips into a thin line Sakura began rummaging through his pockets, struggling to keep her composure.

"I'm the Hokage's apprentice, a little blood doesn't bother me." Putting the few shurikens and some sort of smoke bomb she'd found on the body into her pouch she made her way towards the second corpse on the ground. She didn't know if she could stomach going through the third man's belongings, the one that was dangling a few metres above her head.

Just as she was about to pull him over, a tanto suddenly materialised under her chin. **_Shi- _**Inner's cursing was cut off by the sudden pain that shot up from her throat. In her panic, she'd moved enough for the razor-sharp blade to draw blood.

"What is a little girl doing in our territory?" Every reflex she'd acquired over her years of training suddenly kicked into gear and faster than she'd ever moved, Sakura flickered away. Reappearing just behind her sudden company she subconsciously moved her hands to her throat and started healing the superficial cut.

"What the hell!" The man with the tanto exclaimed, before reappearing right in front of her. _He's fast_!

Narrowly escaping his outstretched hand, Sakura backflipped into one of the trees behind her. Quickly scouting the area, she counted four men before throwing another of her paper bombs right at their feet. **_Cha_!**

"Take that, you big dummies!" Sharply turning on her heels, Sakura once again ran from the smoking clearing, this time with at least three pursuers right behind her. Her chakra was not nearly fully replenished and if she didn't think of something fast, they'd catch her in no time.

Pulling on her last reserves, Sakura threw caution in the wind and channelled as much chakra as she could into her legs. Her sudden increase in speed didn't only surprise herself, judging by the cursing that was coming from behind her. **_We cannot hold this speed for much longer. You have to shake them off now_!**

Easier said than done Sakura thought to herself as she took another sharp turn to her left. In the blink of an eye, a man appeared right in front of her.

"Ooof." Crashing right into his broad chest, Sakura felt his arms locking around her midsection before she was pulled downwards at a speed that gave her vertigo.

"Izuna-sama are you alright?" The three other men landed next to the stranger that was still holding her.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked and tried to substitute herself with another branch.

"Ah, Ah, Ah," She was grabbed out of the air by the back of her shirt. "We're not doing that again."

Sakura had never been so scared in her life. Not when they faced down Zabuza, nor when Orochimaru attacked them in the forest of death. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, as she realised that she'd die in that damned forest. What would her parents do once Konoha found her body? She didn't even want to begin to think about her shishou.

"P-please let me go, I didn't kill your friends on purpose." Because why else would they follow her, if not for killing their teammates.

"Friends?" One of the men asked, confusion clearly written over his smooth features.

"I think she's talking about the Senju bastards back at the clearing." His companion muttered, his dark eyes scanning her form for any threats.

Sakura had stopped listening at the mention of the same name that Tsunade-sama carried. **_Senju as in the extinct Senju clan_?!** Inner screeched when it dawned on her what might've happened. **_You cannot be serious right now outer_.** Sakura wasn't stupid. Far from it. She knew how preposterous it sounded. But she was also able to navigate the night sky. It was the same as it had been in Konoha. Exactly the same. By all means, she should have been standing in a crowded street instead of a forest when she'd first arrived here.

"Hey, shh we won't hurt you, kid. Just tell us what happened." Sakura suddenly remembered that she was still being held captive by one of her pursuers.

"I- I just…" She trailed off; her gaze unfocused. Her mind was going into overdrive as she continued to contemplate her situation, unaware of the frowning faces surrounding her.

"She's clearly been trained, but I cannot think of a clan with such… distinct features." The man that had first spoken pointed at her cherry-coloured hair.

"Killing three full-grown men is not an easy feat, especially if they were Senju." They continued arguing over her head, while the girl in their leader's arms continued to hyperventilate.

"Izuna-sama what do you propose?" Sakura felt the man holding her take a deep breath before she was turned around by her shoulders and found herself face to face with her capturer.

"Sasuke?!" Her heart skipped a beat at the painfully familiar features of the young man in front of her.

"Nope. It's Izuna, kid." At her dumbfounded expression, he ruffled her hair.

"Uchiha Izuna. Now, can you tell me your name?" Sakura blanched as his words registered in her mind. **_We're so screwed_**. "Come on, I won't bite." His eyes found her own and Sakura started crying again. The sudden dread that was engulfing her mind manifesting itself in pitiful wails.

"Kami, do I look that bad?" The young Uchiha joked and earned himself a few chuckles from his team.

"Please, I just wanna go home." Sakura hiccupped; her arms crossed protectively in front of her chest. She had barely any chakra left and the realisation that she might be stuck in the past only heightened her despair. She might've been a kunoichi, but the past hours had taken a toll on the young girl's mind.

"Where's your home? Did those Senju bastards take you away?" At his question, Sakura only cried harder. The academy hadn't prepared her for a situation like this. How was she supposed to deal with people that should've been long dead by now?

"Alright, that's it. You're coming with us for now." The Sasuke lookalike declared.

"Izuna-sama, is that wise?" One of the other men spoke up.

"She's a little girl."

"A little girl that slaughtered three trained shinobi before looting their corpses." The grumpy man that had commented on her peculiar hair colour argued.

"She said it was an accident."

"How do you accidentally blow someone up?" They all looked so much like the members of the Uchiha clan in her time before the massacre, that Sakura had no doubt about their identities.

"They triggered my trap, I was just trying to get some rest." She suddenly spoke up, gathering all the courage that was left in her. They hadn't killed her yet, so maybe she was safe for now.

"Ah, so the cute cherry blossom does speak. Are you feeling better? My little brother always used to feel much happier after some crying." Sas- Izuna smiled down at her from his crouched position.

Blushing, Sakura averted her gaze. "I really don't want any trouble."

"Of course, you don't. We must've scared you huh. Sorry about that, you can never be too careful." His eyes wandered over her unblemished throat. "Did your clan teach you how to heal yourself?"

Sakura decided that it was best to tell as little as possible about herself. "Something like that. Can I go now? I promise to get off your land as soon as possible."

"And where would you go? There's no village even remotely close to us," One of the men behind her argued, causing Sakura to whirl around with a Kunai ready to throw. She'd nearly forgotten about her other company in the presence of Izuna. The similarities to her former teammate were uncanny. He was older, yes, but apart from that? Sakura gulped.

"Sheesh, where do you hide all those knives kid?" Her kunai was suddenly gone from her sweaty palm and she turned around to watch the older Uchiha inspecting her weapon. "That's some excellent craftmanship, very sharp too." He noted, before putting it into his own pouch.

"Hey!" Before she could dart away, she was suddenly pulled up by her ankle. Izuna shook the incredulous girl up and down a few times, the entire group watching as the rest of her weapons and paper bombs fell out of her pockets.

"Where did you get these?" Izuna set her down again, picking up one of her tags in the process.

"I made them?" Her answer sounded more like a question.

"Lying is unbecoming for little girls." Izuna drawled.

Sakura put her hands on her hips, her tears long forgotten. "I'm not a liar! It's not as if it's hard." If there was one thing Sakura hated, it was being underestimated. She wasn't the same weak girl she'd been when she was assigned to Team 7. She was the Godaime's only apprentice for Kami's sake.

"Only the Uzumaki know how to draw such powerful seals, are you one of them?" Izuna's teammate asked her, suddenly sounding much more hostile than he was before.

"What? No. My parents are civilians." She blurted out before she could stop herself. _So much for keeping to ourselves_.

Izuna eyed her for a few seconds. "Who taught you to fight then?"

The group eyed her curious forehead protector, the insignia on it, entirely unfamiliar to the Uchiha.

"Why should I tell you? Just let me go, please." She pleaded, the exhaustion from the previous night catching up with her.

"I say we kill her, better safe than sorry." The oldest man in the group suggested.

"We've already established that we won't do that. She's scared and alone, we'll take her to our camp for now." Izuna countered, leaving no room for arguments.

"Madara-sama won't be happy." **_Madara_?!** There was only one Uchiha Sakura could think of that carried this name. Her heart plummeted. There was no way in hell, she'd go with them. She needed to find a way home!

"I'll take care of my brother Taka, don't forget who you're addressing right now." Izuna's eyes flashed red for a second but long enough for Sakura to recognise the Sharingan. Proving that they were telling the truth.

There was no other possible explanation. She'd really gone back in time.

"Don't look so scared kid. My brother might be a little stern, but I can handle him." Ice-cold fear was clinging to her ribs, making it hard to breathe. She had to get away from these men.

"Don't even think about it, I'll personally drag you back by your ears. This is no place for little girls." Izuna must've noticed her panicked expression because he sighed once, before holding out his hand.

"Come on you must be hungry and tired. If you behave, I'll even share some of my Dango with you." Winking at her incredulous face, Izuna grew tired of waiting and grabbed her left hand.

Sakura shrieked at the sudden movement and instinctively pulled away from the young man.

"No! Get away from me!" She pulled with all her might, but Izuna just continued to drag her after him. Before she could protest, he'd pulled her after him up into the trees and secured her tightly on his back.

"Hey kid, you still haven't told me your name." He turned around, his face mere inches away from her own.

"Sakura." She mumbled into his shoulder, embarrassed by his forwardness. Were all Uchiha in this time so cheerful?

"Good girl, now would you look at me for a second?" Sakura who'd grown up in a village without the famous Uchiha clan didn't even hesitate to look into his dangerous eyes, red clashed with green and suddenly Sakura knew no more.

* * *

"Do I want to know?" The foreign voice pulled Sakura from her pleasant dreams.

"I couldn't just leave her there." Izuna's deep voice vibrated through her chest. Still not fully awake, the girl tried to gather her scrambled thoughts.

"My tent. Now." Sakura felt herself being carried through a busy camp. People were chattering around her and somewhere in the distance, she heard the familiar sound of metal hitting metal.

Before she could protest, she was put down on an uncomfortable Futon. Noticing that she was waking up, Izuna smiled at her. "Ah you're awake Sakura-chan, sorry about that, but the location of our camp is a secret." He ruffled her hair again and turned towards the other occupant of the room.

"Did you have to put her in my bed?"

Sakura's eyes wandered towards the tired sounding voice. Once she spotted the intimidating figure at the back of the room she nearly choked on her breath. The tell-tale scarlet armour, that spiky hair. There was no doubt. She was sitting on Uchiha Madara's bed. Inner was balking at her sudden realisation.

"Can't you see she's exhausted? Let her rest." Izuna jumped to her defence, not the least intimidated by the legendary ninja across from him.

The older Uchiha rubbed his face, clearly accustomed to his brother's antics. "Alright. Let's talk about this. Why did you bring a little girl here?" His gaze wandered over Sakura who was frozen to her seat at this point. The oppressing chakra of the two men nearly suffocating her. "She's an outsider, Izuna. And she's too old to be yours."

Spluttering the younger man shook his head. "Madara!"

His brother just rolled his eyes. "It happens all the time, stop being so dramatic, brother."

"We found her during our last patrol. She killed three Senju. Sakura-chan claims it was an accident." Izuna sounded like he didn't believe her.

"And you brought her here because-" Madara drawled.

"Because it would go against my honour to leave a defenceless child alone near the Senju border." Just like Sasuke, the older Uchiha seemed to take great pride in his beliefs.

"Defenceless and a killer, don't hear that every day." Sakura could not believe that one of her village's founders was ridiculing his younger brother in front of her. It felt bizarre.

"She's useful, she can create those powerful Uzumaki Paper bombs and can heal just like the Senju." At Izuna's statement, Madara turned his sharp gaze on her quivering form again. She was aware of how pathetic she must've looked at this moment.

"Prove it." And before she could even make a sound, the older Uchiha was suddenly standing right in front of her, the smell of fire and earth engulfing her senses. Upon closer inspection, Sakura noticed the blood and dirt on his armour. He must've just returned from the battlefield. **_Oh Kami, this is the warring states era_.** Inner shrieked, making Sakura in turn panic. She'd learned about the countless gruesome tales from this brutal time in the academy.

"Madara!" Before Izuna could stop his brother he'd already bent down and held out his arm towards the startled child.

"Heal that, and Izuna can keep you." Scared out of her mind, Sakura inspected the still bleeding gash on his tanned forearm. She'd recovered some of her chakra during her involuntary nap and carefully grabbed his large hand. Her pale hands seemed tiny in comparison.

Engrossed in her work, Sakura didn't notice how the older Uchiha's eyes widened at the unfamiliar feeling of her delicate fingers cradling his arm. Izuna stepped behind his brother, curious to see what the young girl was doing.

"If I heal you, I want you to let me go." She spoke, determined to get away from these people as soon as possible. Her hand glowed green, as she began to knit the damaged skin back together just as Tsunade had taught her.

"Don't think you're in a position to make demands, girl. Show some respect." Before Madara could stop himself he lightly swatted the girl's head, eerily reminded of how he'd done the same to their younger siblings when they were still alive.

Izuna shot him a dark look, clearly unhappy with his treatment of their intriguing guest.

"Ow! What was that for?" Sakura complained, suddenly losing her focus. Her chakra flickered blue for a second and she felt Madara tense under her.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm not very good at this yet." Sweat was beginning to gather on her forehead as she concentrated on healing the deep wound. Tsunade-sama would've never allowed her to heal a patient in her current state, but she didn't think she could ask Uchiha Madara to wait until she was feeling ready and live to tell the tale.

"Where did you learn that?" Madara asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Sh. I need to concentrate."

Arching a brow at her scolding words, Madara clenched his fists to keep his calm. "Cheeky brat." He didn't know why he was still allowing this stranger to work on his arm. Maybe because it was the first time in many years that he had seen Izuna look so determined. Or maybe the blood loss was finally getting to him and he was slowly getting delirious.

"There. All done. Do you feel any pain?" Sakura asked in full medic-mode, forgetting for a second just who she was talking to.

"Impressive. Here eat this." Madara couldn't stop himself. He reached behind him and pulled out his last Dango stick that one of the old women from the kitchens had pushed into his hands after his return and held it towards the girl.

Unsure how to react to the intimidating man offering her sweets, Sakura just stared. She'd always imagined the founders of her village to be some sort of gods walking the earth. It was hard to still hold onto that believe as she watched the scowling man sitting in front of her.

"I said eat." He shoved the sticky candy into her trembling hands.

"Ah- Thanks?" She squealed, her eyes quickly shying away from his handsome face.

"She may stay for now," Madara announced much to the relief of his brother. Izuna regarded Sakura with a bright smile before pulling her up from the futon. **_Uchiha frickin' Madara's futon_.**

"You did great Sakura-chan. Why don't you live with me for now hm? We have plenty of spare rooms back at the compound."

Sakura would've rather drank her shishou's monthly supply of sake than stay with the Uchiha. "I'd like to leave now. I need to get back home."

"And pray tell where is that mysterious home of yours, child?" Madara drawled from behind her, causing the girl to flinch.

"I- It's a secret. We're very private people." She stuttered, unaware of the glances the brothers exchanged over her head.

"Did you know that my clan can see if someone is lying?" Madara asked her with a very stern gaze.

Sakura sweat-dropped. She'd never heard of the Sharingan being able to do that but who knew what a powerful man like Madara was capable of.

"I'm not lying Uchiha-sama." She was so damn tired. All she wanted was to get home to her parents and forget that any of that ever happened.

"Look at me Sakura." At Madara's demanding tone, she once again made the mistake of looking into an Uchiha's eyes.

* * *

"And she's out again. Kami, did nobody ever warn her of our clan's jutsu?" Izuna watched the girl fall back onto his brother's Futon, her bright hair surrounding her peaceful face like a halo.

Madara scoffed. "She's definitely not an Uzumaki or Senju, her chakra signature doesn't match the ones of their clans."

Both brothers watched the sleeping girl for a moment.

"What do you think of her forehead protector? Maybe she's from a small clan in the north?" The people in the south had hair as bright as the sun and dark skin, whereas the people from the east looked like them. That left only north since the Senju hailed from the west.

"Possibly, but why would she be alone?" Madara contemplated.

"Maybe they were ambushed. She looked positively exhausted when we stumbled across her. Digging around some dead man's belongings as if her life depended on it." Izuna hated that innocent children like her had to live like that. She reminded him of the boys his clan had sent to the battlefield like sheep to the slaughter. He'd lost two of his brothers to this senseless fighting.

"Her hands look like those damn noble's. Not a single scar or even callouses." Madara looked towards his brother. "And you're telling me she killed three shinobi?"

Izuna shrugged, "She's obviously a skilled medic. It would've taken our healers at least a week to completely fix your arm, surely, she can heal some rough skin on her own hands."

"Once we return to the compound she can stay with father, I'm sure he'd appreciate the company, and who knows maybe she can heal him too." The Uchiha patriarch had been caught off guard by an enemy's jutsu not too long ago. Now the proud man was confined to the walls of his own home, slowly but surely scaring away even the most loyal servants with his foul mood.

"He'll eat her alive." Izuna looked worried at the prospect of the shy little girl meeting their stern father.

"She'll do just fine. If she can sass me without losing her calm, she can deal with father." Madara shot their young guest a baleful glare. A shiver ran down her exposed arms and the fearsome Uchiha suddenly found himself carefully lifting the girl up before tucking her into his worn sheets.

"Not a word Izuna."

"Oh, admit it, you fell for her adorable face as well." A Kunai whizzed past his head.

"Out with you!" Madara watched his cackling sibling scurry out of the tent, throwing one last glance at the sleeping child.

"See you at dinner brother dearest!"

* * *

**This is a purely self-indulgent story. I was in some desperate need for some founders x sakura fluff. So here we go xoxo**


	2. II

Their group moved swiftly through the high crowns of fire country's ancient forests. Sakura found herself at the back of the party together with Izuna, who clearly didn't want to let the young Kunoichi out of his sight. They had departed from the makeshift camp the previous evening, making their way east towards the Uchiha compound.

_**How are they so fast? **_Inner complained as Sakura cringed at the beads of sweat that were running down her back. She felt disgusting. But she didn't want to hold up the rest, so she bit her teeth together and continued running.

"You doing okay there Sakura-chan?" Izuna asked, not even a single hair out of place.

_**This is ridiculous.**_ Sakura knew she didn't have as much stamina as most of her peers, but she seldom felt so inadequate as a shinobi as she did at this moment. Of course, she had just recently begun to train properly but still, there were boys her age and even younger in their group, that had no problem keeping up with their older peers.

"All good Uchiha-san." She tried to keep her breathing even as she launched herself forward, the branches under her feet blurring into brown and green lines.

"Just let me carry you kid, the compound is still hours away."

Sakura wanted to cry at his statement. _**A few hours?**_ Inner whined. _**We've been running since yesterday evening! **_Sakura really didn't need even more reasons to feel miserable, so she decided to tune out the voice inside of her head for now.

"I can do this." Running for a few more hours was nothing compared to Tsunade-sama's training. Her last remaining chakra prickled uncomfortably under her skin, but if she focussed less into her upper leg muscles, she reckoned she could do about three more hours before she reached her limit.

Izuna sighed loudly but let her off the hook for now. He fell into step beside her again, their difference in height becoming glaringly apparent. It was still hard for Sakura to look at the young man without seeing her former teammate but at least when he was close, their physical differences became more obvious. Izuna was not only taller but also had longer hair than Sasuke. He didn't look nearly as sombre as Sasuke always did, despite living through an actual war. It was quite fascinating to her how all these people seemed to go on with their daily lives despite the constant influx of injured shinobi, and gruesome injuries she'd seen in the few days she'd spent at the encampment.

Steeling herself Sakura focussed her eyes on the backs of the other Shinobi and continued to follow them.

After another three and a half hours someone at the front of the party finally announced that they had arrived. Sakura's heart beat hard against her ribcage and her legs felt like someone was pricking her with a thousand needles. But she'd made it. She'd never run as long as she had today and the fact that she was still standing filled her with pride.

"Good job kid!" Izuna ruffled her pink hair, not bothered by her sweaty appearance. She hadn't changed clothes in two days now and it was beginning to show. "Let's get you something clean to wear before I introduce you to father."

Madara would only join them in a few days. Sakura didn't know if she wanted to meet his infamous father without him to rule him in. The Uchiha compound blended in seamlessly with the surrounding greenery. The buildings looked like the original quarters back in Konoha, with sprawling wooden verandas that ran around the outside edges of many of the homes. Taken aback by the sheer size of the compound and the many Uchiha roaming around, Sakura couldn't do much more than silently gape at every corner they passed.

"Impressive isn't it?" Izuna interrupted her inner musings.

"How many Uchiha live here?" She asked breathlessly as they pushed their way through a group of chatting women, all of them greeting Izuna with a slight bow and a muttered "Uchiha-Sama".

"Well, if you only count the permanent residents – women, children as well as our elders…" Izuna furrowed his brows, "Around two-hundred?"

_**Kami, that's a lot of Sharingans. **_Sakura agreed with Inner. She'd always perceived the clan's dojutsu as something exceptionally rare, she vividly remembered the day after the massacre, the deserted streets and barricaded storefronts. But she'd simply been too young to truly comprehend the loss until now. Watching the sea of dark heads around them, Sakura suddenly understood what Konoha had lost after that fateful night. The sheer cruelty of the act took her breath away.

"Th- That's a lot of people to protect." She stuttered, her weary body aching for a proper bed.

"We really need to get you some proper clothes before I take you to father, or else he might truly suffer another heart attack." Izuna's eyes pointedly wandered over her exposed calves and shoulders. Sakura had always thought that she dressed quite modestly, compared to Ino at least, but one look at the sea of traditional garbs around them made her question this belief.

"Your village must be very far away judging from what they let young girls wear there." He sounded genuinely curious so Sakura bit back her angry remark_._

"You'd be shocked to see some of my friends' outfits if you find this one improper already." She joked.

"Is that a challenge? Maybe if you told me where you came from, we can see about that, hm?" Izuna smiled down at her,

"Ah well-" Sakura chuckled awkwardly at her slip-up, her hands digging into the worn fabrics of her shorts.

Finally taking pity on the spluttering girl, Izuna pointed his finger at a large building to their right. "That's the main house. You'll be staying here for now."

It looked impressive compared to the more modest accommodations at the edge of the compound. The intricately carved wooden pillars at the front gate were stained crimson, and Sakura even spotted a small koi pond to the side of the building. "For how long?" She finally managed to ask while following Izuna inside.

"That remains to be seen." The young Uchiha's warm hand settled between her shoulder blades as he steered her through the winding corridors of the silent house. "The servant quarters are located right behind that door, hopefully, we can borrow a Yukata from one of the younger girls."

Sakura didn't want to wear some stranger's clothes but one look at her filthy attire was enough to change that sentiment. "Alright."

After a while, they finally found someone close enough to her height, a young servant girl who hadn't even looked up once after taking one silent look at Sakura. The simple blue fabric felt heavenly on her still flushed skin. Izuna suddenly seemed nervous which in turn made Sakura's pulse quicken. "Madara sent word of our arrival so father should already know of you." He looked down at her. "Don't be scared. The old man might be grumpy, but he isn't cruel."

Gulping down the lump that had formed in her throat she felt herself nod. "Good girl." Before she could dive away, his hands once again ruffled through her already messy pink locks.

"Will you stop it already!" She hissed, trying in vain to smooth down the worst knots on her head.

Izuna just chuckled at her before schooling his features and knocking on a simple shoji door in front of them. Kneeling down besides Izuna, they waited for an answer.

"Come in." Sounded a muffled voice, and before Sakura had a chance to bolt, Izuna gently shoved her into the dimly lit room. "So this is the girl Madara wrote about."

Sakura trained her eyes on the regal man a few feet away from them. His greying hair was neatly pulled back and he was dressed in the traditional Uchiha colours. Remembering her manners Sakura bowed deeply.

"At least the child has manners. Tell me, why did you bring her here."

Feeling a little miffed at the man's clear dismissal of her, Sakura bit the insides of her cheeks. _**R**__**ude old geezer**._

"The battlefield is no place for young girls." Izuna began, and Sakura subtly rolled her eyes. "She can heal, maybe even you. Madara must've already told you. She'll be a great asset to the clan."

"She's an outsider." Izuna's father argued, his dark eyes finding her own green ones.

"Are you doubting the judgement of your own sons?" Izuna bit back causing Sakura to flinch at the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

"Show some respect boy, I'm still the head of this family." The older Uchiha's chakra crackled dangerously against Sakura's skin, making her shift uncomfortably on her feet. "Outsiders only ever bring misfortune to a house."

Izuna sighed, his hands reaching towards the ceiling. "What will it take for you to let her stay?"

Suddenly she found herself under the stern gaze of the Uchiha patriarch, his intimidating figure casting looming shadows over her slight form. _**What's his problem? **_Inner hissed but Sakura was too busy not to fidget under his piercing eyes.

"Is it true that you can heal with a mere touch?" Sakura flinched. "Speak up girl."

"Y-Yes. Well, not everything but-" She was interrupted in her ramblings by Izuna, who squeezed her shoulder with a reassuring nod. "I'm still learning but I can heal most superficial wounds and common ailments."

Izuna's father continued to study her, his eyes roaming over her unusual hair colour. "What clan are you from?"

"My parents were civilians." She'd never been more grateful for her humble background.

"Preposterous. Who taught you then?"

Sakura didn't think it wise to tell them her teacher was a descendant of the Senju clan. "You wouldn't know her. She spends her days wandering the lands and gambling away her family's fortune." It wasn't a lie per se. Tsunade had done that for many years before taking the Hokage's hat. _**Smart move, there's no way for them to confirm your story**._

"Why would civilians let their daughter travel with such a questionable character?" Shinobi truly were suspicious creatures. It came with the job, but Sakura still hated how perceptive her people sometimes were.

"I wanted to get stronger, so I begged them until they let me go." Also, not a complete lie. She was getting good at this. Kakashi-sensei would've been proud of her.

Izuna was listening to her story just as intently as his father. Sakura had refused to share any details of her life with the two brothers up until now, but she was pretty sure she couldn't pull that off with the head of the Uchiha clan if she wanted to get out of this mess alive.

"I want to see what she's capable of, if she proves herself useful, she may stay." While Izuna seemed to take this as great news, Sakura had paled considerably. She'd been sure that the older man would cast her out. She didn't want to stay with the Uchiha, she needed to find a way home! "Come here, girl."

Sakura pulled herself together and hurried to sit down next to the futon the imposing man was resting on. Her lips still sealed shut. "I trust my sons' judgement, but this doesn't mean I trust you." The older man spoke, his deep voice resonating within her chest. Up close he was even more intimidating than Madara. A shinobi who'd survived long enough in this time to witness his hair beginning to grey must've been a force to be reckoned with. "I've suffered a severe injury to my back during our last battle, heal it and you will have my gratitude."

Sakura's eyes widened, the by now familiar feeling of panic creeping up her arms and neck. She was nowhere near qualified to treat such an injury, but if she failed the man, he'd surely be rid of her. "I'll try my best Uchiha-sama." She choked out.

"You may refer to me as Tajima-sama." He spoke before turning his back to her, clearly trusting his younger son to keep an eye on her. She was obviously no match for Izuna.

"If I-" Sakura cleared her throat, her hands felt clammy. "If I may Tajima-sama?" When no objection came from his side, Sakura pushed the loose yukata from the older man's shoulders and watched it pool around his hips. _**Kami**_. One look at the festering wound at the centre of his back was enough to make her realise she'd not be able to heal him in one sitting, if ever.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Tch, a poisonous sword. It was intended for Izuna, but that Senju bastard wasn't fast enough."

Sakura felt respect well up in her chest for the Uchiha. He'd taken a fatal blow for his son. The fact that he was still alive was a miracle in itself.

"Tobirama will regret it the next time we cross paths," Izuna muttered darkly behind her, causing Sakura to flinch.

"What is your verdict, girl? Our healers have done all they could." Tajima asked, not once turning around to look at her.

Sakura pursed her lips, her eyes wandering over the inflamed gash again. Taking one deep breath she summoned healing chakra to her hands, its eerie green glow illuminating the room. The muscles under Tajima's skin tensed at the sudden spike of chakra behind him. Sakura closed her eyes and examined the injury. There was still some poison lingering in his bloodstream, severely draining the energy his body so desperately needed to recover from the injury. As far as she could tell, no organ had been pierced by the sword. _**This is far above our skill level**._ Sakura agreed with Inner, but she knew she had to at least try to help the Uchiha patriarch.

"The reason you're not getting better is the remaining poison in your system Tajima-sama," Sakura explained, her hands following its path through blackened veins. "Had it been removed sooner you might've recovered fully but now-" She hesitated.

"Now what, child." Tajima sounded surprisingly resigned.

"The poison has reached your heart, I can extract it, but it's damaged to a point where it won't endure prolonged exposure to strenuous activities."

Izuna cursed, but it was the older Uchiha's reaction that surprised her. She was so taken aback that her healing chakra flickered out of existence. Tajima's shoulders shook and it took a few seconds to register that he was laughing.

"That's it? My healers tell me I should prepare my will and here you are, a strange little girl, telling me to just refrain from running around like a madman for the remainder of my days?"

Sakura and Izuna waited silently for the man to calm down again. _**I guess the people from this time don't expect miracle recoveries like they do in our time**._ Sakura agreed. Back at the hospital, the doctors would've scolded her for her sub-par healing. Practically ending a shinobi's career over a simple poison would've been unheard of under Tsunade. **_Lucky for you these people probably still treat a fever with leeches or something equally gross._ **

"You will never be able to fight again Tajima-sama." Sakura finally spoke. He was now facing her, towering over the girl even in his seated position.

"Madara is old enough to take some responsibility. I've been on a battlefield since I could hold a kunai, it's time to make room for the younger generation."

"Father!" Izuna interrupted but one glare from Tajima made the boy shut his mouth.

"Extract the poison girl." Not waiting for Sakura's answer the older man turned around again, patiently waiting for Sakura to start. She looked back at Izuna with wide eyes, but he just gestured for her to begin with a resigned expression on his handsome face.

Sighing Sakura set to work. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon when she was finally done, her sweat-covered forehead pounding from the many hours of concentration. She was too exhausted to even think about healing the actual wound, but with the poison gone, it wasn't life-threatening anymore at least.

"It's done." Her voice sounded as tired as she felt. Tajima who had silently endured the painful procedure let out a relieved breath. Sakura had felt bad for not numbing the pain, but she wasn't skilled enough yet to block the necessary receptors in the body and didn't want to give him any medication that might put even more strain on his heart.

"Truly amazing." She heard the Uchiha patriarch exclaim before the world once again began spinning in front of her eyes.

"Seems like I pushed her to her limits." Someone picked her up, the smell of burned logs and grass engulfing her. "Put her in the guest quarters and assign her a servant. She's filthy."

Offended at this statement Sakura wanted to give them a piece of her mind but all she could muster up was a tired mumble.

"Make sure the child eats when she wakes up, no wonder she ran out of chakra. Didn't her shishou feed her?" Sakura felt the older Uchiha, or at least she assumed it was him, prod her arm, "Such a skinny thing." Was the last thing she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Sakura was really tired of fainting at this point.


	3. III

"Sakura-sama please wait up!" The frantic servant was running after the young girl, who'd taken to the dark-tiled roofs after encountering another dead end. "Tajima-sama will be most displeased!"

Sakura launched herself over another ledge. She'd been staying at the compound for nearly two months now and all her escape attempts so far had been foiled by either Izuna and Madara or one of the guards. At first, she'd been afraid to even speak up in the presence of the two oldest Uchihas, but that sentiment had quickly faded after she'd realised the two men were all talk with her.

"Sakura-sama come down this instant!" The servant sounded angry now. _**Serves her right after trying to get us to wear that hideous Yukata**_. She agreed. Sakura was a kunoichi of the leaf. She'd to get back to Konoha, not play dress-up with the Uchiha women. Not that she'd met many of them. Every time she tried to leave the house Tajima somehow caught wind of it and sent a chaperone with her. Apparently, they had a slightly different picture of how a young girl should behave. _**Chauvinistic pricks**_.

"I shall inform Tajima-sama if you're not down at three." _Damn it._ After she'd healed the old geezer, she'd thought he'd make her tend to the other residents and house her somewhere at the far edges of the compound. Instead, she found herself being moved permanently into the main-house and only ever assisted the healers if they were at their wit's end. The Uchiha didn't take well to an outsider telling them how to treat their sick, especially if it came from a little girl. _**Their loss I tell you.**_ Inner was just as fed up with the situation as herself.

Not wanting to endure another lecture from the Uchiha patriarch, Sakura let out a resigned sigh and dropped down next to the startled servant. "Kami you'll be the death of me." The servant made sure to keep Sakura close on their way back to the main house, the shadow who'd been following her since her departure silently vanishing back in the - well, shadows again. Her chaperones had learned from their previous mistake of underestimating her evasion skills. Tsunade-sama had made sure that no one got a hold of her if she couldn't help it.

"Do we really have to return already?" Sakura whined, knowing fully well that the elderly woman couldn't stay angry with her for long.

She received a deadpan look in return. Sometimes she felt like Naruto when she managed to lose yet another of her pursuers. One time she'd even reached the forest outside the compound before running straight into the armour-clad chest of Madara who'd just returned from another raid. It'd to be one of the most mortifying experiences of her life. Even worse than that one-time Sasuke had seen her chest-bindings on one of their missions.

Once they arrived at her dreaded temporary home, Sakura was escorted to Tajima's study much to her dismay. She felt betrayed. Kneeling in front of the head of the family Sakura tried not to fidget.

"The Senju could attack at any time, why do you insist on running around like a headless chicken?" It was by far his favourite moniker. The invisible enemy lurking around every corner. If it was so dangerous for her why did the other Uchiha were still allowed to roam free? Apparently sensing her silent question, Tajima scowled. "Your skills are far too valuable to fall into our enemies' hands."

"It's not as if you let me use them," Sakura muttered under her breath.

"You're a child."

Rolling her eyes at his statement, Sakura shifted into a more comfortable position.

"I healed you, I'm a trained shinobi, not some useless civilian!" It was a familiar argument by now. Tajima didn't want to hear anything about Sakura making herself useful in some way, insisting on her staying with him at the house. It was so mind-numbingly boring Sakura sometimes wanted to scream.

"As long as you're a ward of this house you'll listen to me," Tajima ordered, not used to being questioned.

Sakura felt frustration building up in her chest. "I'm not anyone's ward. You brought me here against my will, what right do you have to make me stay here?" She truly didn't understand why the Uchiha insisted on more or less locking her up. Legally she became an adult the day she put her hitai-ate on.

Tajima regarded her with a hard stare. "Neither your family nor your teacher has come to collect you, you should be grateful we took you in."

Sakura scowled. They had explained many times that usually a woman stayed with her family until she married, at least in most clans and definitely amongst the civilian population. In Tajima's eyes, he'd every right to claim her when no one came looking for her. _**Kinda difficult when you're a hundred years in the future.**_

"I know that you're used to perusing the lands doing Kami knows what with that mysterious teacher of yours but the Uchihas are a respectable clan, I will not have a little girl running around the compound causing mayhem."

In moments like these, Sakura truly despised Tajima. It was so unfair! Just as she'd begun to get stronger, she'd been thrown into this awful time, with its awful traditions and nosy inhabitants. "I want to train. I don't want to be weak anymore. Please Tajima-sama." She pleaded, making sure to give him her best impression of a kicked puppy. It was easy to sway the man if she tried. Sadly, this topic seemed to be where he drew the line. He'd gotten her books and scrolls to pass the time, but she was tired of practising her Kanji and writing down her theoretical knowledge of healing chakra for the Uchiha Medics. Not that they ever thanked her for her efforts.

"Sakura, we talked about this."

"Please, oh please Tajima-sama." She interrupted the man, not ready to drop the topic yet. A few seconds of silence followed, the older Uchiha's eyes never leaving her own.

Eventually, his shoulders sagged, and he pinched his nose. "You're worse than Izuna when he was your age. Alright, you may train with the other boys, but I have a few conditions."

Sakura nearly jumped out of her seat, barely able to contain her excitement. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of finally getting back to training. "Of course!" Beggars couldn't be choosers and at this point, she'd agree to about everything to get out of the house.

"No staying out after dark and you'll listen to everything the instructor tells you," It sounded reasonable enough, so she nodded. "I also don't want you to overestimate yourself, if one of the boys is stronger than you, you'll yield."

Throwing her head back, Sakura huffed. "I'm not weak!"

"I never said you were. I'll join the first sparring session to get a picture of your skills."

Sakura grinned, this was her chance to show the Uchiha, that she wasn't one to be messed with. "Thank you so much!"

Forgetting herself for a second, Sakura threw herself at the man, only years of battlefield experience giving him the ability to avoid her approaching form. The older Uchiha skilfully evaded her petit arms and grabbed the girl mid-jump by her obi. "Do you want to give this old man a heart attack girl?"

Sakura looked up from her awkward position under his arm with a sheepish grin. "I can just heal you, don't worry." Rewarding the speechless man with her brightest smile she twisted out of his grip with ease and landed in a practised crouch, the tight fabrics of her yukata protesting the move audibly.

"The audacity. Get your scrolls, that's a hundred lines for cheek and a hundred more for running away and ripping your new clothes I so graciously gifted to you."

Gaping at the older man for the unfounded punishment Sakura spluttered. "That'll take me all evening!"

Tajima levelled her with a non-plussed expression. "Then I suggest you pick up your feet and start writing, dinner will be served at sundown."

Not wanting to provoke the mean man any further, Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line and stormed out of the study. By now she knew to pick her battles wisely with the Uchiha patriarch.

The hours passed agonisingly slow as she wrote line after line of some ancient scripture that made as much sense to her as Tsunade-sama's medical journals. Some of the Kanji used in them were so archaic Sakura had to refer to a dictionary for the first time since her academy days. It was a mind-numbingly dull task that never failed to make her feel like a chastised child.

"Lines again?" A shadow suddenly fell over her scroll and she looked up to find Madara leaning over her messy work, his arms leisurely crossed over his broad chest. Stifling a startled yelp, she felt the brush crack under her grip. That man was way too quiet.

"It was worth it. I get to train with the boys from tomorrow." Madara wasn't nearly as appalled by the idea of her fighting as his father was. He'd heard from Izuna about her feat in the forest when she'd first arrived here and how she'd managed to nearly escape his younger brother's group.

"After two months of you practically nagging his ears off, I'm not surprised." He teased; his expression unguarded as he watched her scowl.

Sakura let her gaze wander over his casual attire, noticing how much younger he looked without his scarlet armour. She'd long thought him to be around Kakashi-sensei's age but now it was obvious that Madara was much younger. Izuna was only a couple of years her senior and she doubted his brother was much older.

"I figure he'll be watching?" He asked, his dark eyes absentmindedly scanning the words on her scroll.

Sakura grimaced. "I don't know why he insists on keeping me locked up here. I'm a shinobi."

"Nah, you're a brat," Madara stated as he leaned down and pointed at one of her Kanji. "That's wrong, it should say tree."

Thick strands of hair suddenly blocked her vision and without hesitation, she moved Madara's ridiculous mane off her drying ink. "Argh, you're ruining my hard work!" She watched in dismay as her most recent lines smudged when his tresses moved over them like an oversized brush. "Now look what you did!"

The older Uchiha chuckled at her despair, finally stepping back a little. "Dinner's ready. You can finish this afterwards."

Relieved to get away from the thankless task Sakura eagerly joined Madara, excitedly chattering about her training the next morning.

* * *

**Thanks for all your lovely reviews. I really appreciate them – Regarding everyone's age, I have a really cute scene written in chapter 5 which will reveal them, so stay tuned. I'll update quite regularly for once since I just finished chapter 7. xoxo**


	4. IV

"Sakura-sama if you don't refrain from destroying my training grounds, you're banned from joining the spars." Her teacher yelled over the deafening sound of her fists once again connecting with the earth below her.

Pure adrenalin flooded her system as she felt the ground cave in, her fists glowing blue as she stood up in the small crater that had formed around her. She could see her poor sensei blanching at the destruction surrounding them. Even though she wasn't nearly as strong as Tsunade-shishou Sakura had wanted to show those stuck up Uchiha brats that she wasn't a pushover. After all, it was her first training session in two months.

"Sensei you cannot expect me to fight this…beast." One of the other boy's in their group yelled over the still falling debris, causing Sakura to laugh.

"Watch your mouth Yuto, she is a guest of our esteemed leader." Said leader had moved to a safer distance the second her fists had first connected with the now destroyed ground.

Once the dust finally cleared Sakura patted down her standard Uchiha training-attire and made her way towards her still screeching opponent. He was maybe a year older than her and about a head taller. Which really didn't help him much once he realised even his fancy Sharingan couldn't keep up with her flickering in and out of existence. She might not know any flashy jutsu but in a matter of weeks, Tsunade-shishou had more or less forced her to use her superior chakra control to get out of the way of the building-sized boulders the crazy woman liked to throw at her.

"_Always use as little strength as possible when you move, chakra is precious to medics_" She liked to yell when she noticed Sakura pushing more chakra than necessary into her body replacements in her panicked state. It wasn't fast enough to avoid most seasoned chunin, but it was definitely sufficient against a snotty Uchiha brat. _**Kami did I say how much I hate all of them.**_ Inner asked for the hundredth time this day.

"Taijutsu and no chakra from now on. I have to see you to actually assess you girl." Her teacher ordered once Sakura had reached the pair. Both of the children nodded before falling into position. Sakura in her standard academy kata and her opponent into something that looked a lot like what Sasuke would do during their sparring sessions. Well, Naruto's and his at least. Kakashi had never let her join their spars in the past.

"You're dead pinky." The older boy taunted, his pale face twisting into a sneer. _**Just punch his teeth out. That'll make him shut his trap. **_Appalled at Inner's crude comment Sakura nearly gasped out loud.

Before she could scold her other persona, the boy launched himself at her in an attempt to take her by surprise, but Sakura was ready. She side-stepped him just as his fist was about to connect with her cheek and twisted his arm until she could feel his shoulder crack. Not wanting to cause any lasting damaged she let go off him, quickly jumping away from the flailing boy.

"Son of a-" Before he could finish that sentence Sakura's foot connected with his knee and the boy crumpled to the ground with a startled yelp. Still cradling his throbbing leg, he held up a hand. "I surrender!"

Pride flooded her chest at his whimpered words. She didn't have much time sparring with her fellow shinobi back in Konoha and it felt empowering to go against an opponent who wasn't one of the legendary Sannin for once. Their teacher sighed and helped the boy stand. "Good job Sakura-sama. You definitely have potential."

"Thanks, sensei!" she exclaimed, happy from the praise. "Here let me." She spoke just as the older man was about to bandage her opponent's swollen knee.

"What are you-?" Every protest died in the boy's throat as he felt her soothing chakra enter his hurting leg. The group watched as the swelling went down in a matter of seconds and any remaining redness fading with it. "That is- How did you-"

Apparently, Tajima had seen enough as he suddenly appeared next to her, his dark eyes roaming over the now healed boy. "I'm disappointed in your performance today Yuto, I expect your father to remedy that until the next lesson."

Sakura felt offended at his words, but before she could speak up Tajima turned his attention towards her, taking notice of her dishevelled clothes and tangled hair. "You fought well Sakura-chan, tonight we will celebrate your victory with my sons."

_**Uh-oh. **_Judging by the awestruck faces of her teacher and the other pupils Sakura should've glowed with pride, but that one little word during Tajima's speech had set her off. _**He only ever calls us Sakura-chan when he's mad. **_Dreading what would await her once they returned home Sakura gulped. _**Maybe we shouldn't have demolished the entire training ground. **_Sakura agreed.

Back at home, Sakura found herself once again kneeling in Tajima's study.

"To think I actually permitted you to join the class!" Tajima regarded her with his most impressive glare. Unsure of what she'd done wrong Sakura chose to stay quiet for now.

Maybe if she stalled him long enough Izuna and Madara would return and save her from their father's wrath.

He didn't get angry with her often, but when he did, it always ended in her spending the night writing obscure lines or even worse kneeling on those dreaded tatami mats until she was dismissed. It had only taken him a few hours until he'd caught her healing her burning thighs the first time. After that he'd made her sit twice as long as a punishment. She'd refrained from using her chakra ever since.

"Did your shishou teach you this brutish strength?" He finally asked after a few uncomfortable minutes of silence. _**He really knows how to make you feel guilty even if you didn't do anything.**_

Sakura wondered how Izuna had turned out so mischievous with a father like Tajima. "Yes, Tajima-sama." She answered, not wanting to make the situation worse somehow.

"I don't want to see you behaving in such an undignified way ever again, understood?" Tajima said, leaving no room for arguments.

Irritated by his words, Sakura shook her head. "Why are you so angry? I won fair and square."

"There is no honour in running away from your opponent until he's exhausted enough for you to land a blow."

Sakura huffed in indignation. So this was what that was all about? Uchiha and their stupid honour. It haunted her in every aspect of her life, and now even in battle. Sakura was a shinobi; they didn't usually do honour. It was all about who dropped dead first as far as Tsunade-sama was concerned. And she was her Hokage, so she should know what she was talking about.

"I'm a medic, my first priority is my teammates, if I get hit, the entire team could end up dead." She argued, repeating what her Shishou had taught her.

"If you want to be a shinobi you fight, there is no place for useless healers on the battlefield," Tajima argued, obvious to the point she was making.

"But-"

Tajima interrupted her. "No. If you want to continue your lessons you will refrain from using those cowardly techniques and face your opponent heads on."

Everything in Sakura revolted against that order. It went against the core principles Tsunade-sama had taught her but then- _We aren't back in Konoha anymore. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to learn some new techniques. _Inner nodded her imaginary head in agreement. Sakura was still offended by Tajima's words, but this was her chance to learn something new that could help her once she got away from the Uchiha.

Not one to look a gifted horse in the mouth Sakura nodded demurely. "As you wish, Tajima-sama."

The other man searched her face for any deceit. After a few seconds, he seemed satisfied with what he was seeing and hummed. "Good girl." Before resting his hand on her head. Something he liked to do when she listened to him for once. "Your strength is truly admirable. Hone it to crush your enemies in the future."

It was strange to her how he could criticize her one minute and praise Sakura for the same thing in the next. He obviously didn't have anything against her strength per se. Just how she was using it. She could work with that.

* * *

**xoxo**


	5. V

It was dinner time at the Uchiha main house. For once, the entire family had gathered around the low dining table, enjoying the still steaming dishes the servants had prepared this evening. A low summer breeze brought much needed relief from the scorching heat of the day through the wide-open doors facing the quaint garden at the centre of the house.

Chewing on one of her steamed vegetables, Sakura eyed the other men next to her. "Why do you always call me kid? I'm not that much younger than Izuna."

Madara put his bowl of rice down and regarded her with a confused stare. "Izuna is seventeen." He spoke as if that solved the matter.

"That's not even three years older than me!" Sakura exclaimed watching Tajima nearly choke on his own meal. Izuna and his brother looked equally surprised.

"You're thirteen?!" The youngest Uchiha broke the stunned silence.

"Nearly fourteen. How old did you guys think I was?" She scowled at the men's sheepish faces.

Izuna leaned forward and pointed his chopsticks at the irritated girl. "You're tiny! I thought you were what- ten?"

"Izuna manners!" His father interrupted, taking a deep sip from his sake.

"Ten?!" Sakura screeched, the table cracking audibly under the force of her palms hitting the expensive wood.

"You let a fourteen-year-old girl join combat-training father. How progressive." Madara drawled, his face not betraying the mirth dancing behind his onyx eyes.

"She's nearly old enough to get married!" Izuna spluttered. "Why didn't you tell us Sakura-chan?"

The young kunoichi narrowed her eyes at the three other members of the household. "You never asked. I thought it was obvious. After all, I'm already trained and somewhat competent with my medical chakra. And I _don't_ look ten!"

"Most children finish training much younger," Tajima interjected, his assessing eyes inspecting her red-stained cheeks. "That indeed changes some things." His gaze wandered towards his youngest son.

"You wouldn't." Izuna's face turned ashen as he realised where his father's mind was going.

"She wouldn't be treated as an outsider anymore." Tajima mused.

Sakura was still confused about what was going on and looked at Madara for an explanation. He just smirked into his own sake cup. And then the pin finally dropped.

"Urgh! I'm not marrying Izuna. That's just-" At the thought of ever having to see the younger Uchiha brother in that light, she felt sick to her stomach. She was also way too young to get married. She didn't even belong in this time in the first place!

Tajima laughed at the varying degrees of disgust on the faces of his children. Not that Sakura was his actual daughter but at this point, she might as well be. The child was precious, with a temper to match her unnatural strength. "I was merely jesting. Sakura is much too young for any marriage talks." He spoke. His mind still going over the possibility. His oldest was out of the question. As the future leader of this clan, he had to settle down with a proper Uchiha wife. But Izuna? The image of a group of giggling children with black hair and viridian eyes danced before his inner eye. Not a bad idea at all he thought to himself.


End file.
